A former member of the city’s Ethics Review Commission, Betsy Greenberg, has filed ethics complaints against Mayor Kirk Watson and one of his challengers, Doug Greco. In her complaints, Greenberg alleges that both candidates collected more money from outside the city of Austin than is allowed under the city charter. The Austin Bulldog reported on […]
November 2024 elections
Posted inElections
Who’s raising money? Campaign finance reports show some surprises
Earlier this week, the Austin Monitor reported on campaign finance tallies for Mayor Kirk Watson, his opponents and candidates for District 7 and District 4. Now it’s time to look at the other races and the surprising fundraising by City Council members Zo Qadri and Ryan Alter, who are not up for reelection until 2026. […]
Posted inElections
City candidates’ financial filings are in for the latest fundraising period
Monday was the deadline to file campaign finance reports for members of City Council and other candidates in the November election. No one was surprised last week when the Austin Monitor reported that Mayor Kirk Watson had raised more than $710,000 between mid-April and June 30, probably more than his opponents are likely to raise […]
Posted inElections
Mayor reports big campaign fundraising numbers, but his challengers push on
Monday is the deadline for all City Council candidates to turn in their campaign finance reports for the period that ended on June 30. Politics watchers expect Mayor Kirk Watson to raise far more than his opponents as he has in the past. So it was not surprising when he announced Tuesday that his reelection […]
Posted inTravis County
Affordable child care investment for Travis County may be on November ballot
At its June 25 meeting, the Travis County Commissioners Court took a step toward expanding access to early childhood care and after-school services for low-income residents, setting Aug. 13 for a public hearing on a proposed 2.5-cent property tax rate increase election this November to fund those services. The idea began in May, when commissioners […]
Posted inElections
Kathie Tovo kicks off mayoral campaign criticizing Kirk Watson
Kathie Tovo, who served on City Council from 2012 to 2023, including four years as mayor pro tem, is running for mayor – and she’s not shy about explaining why she wants to replace Mayor Kirk Watson. At her campaign kickoff party Wednesday night at a crowded El Mercado Restaurant in South Austin, Tovo told […]
Posted inCity Charter
Charter changes might include city attorney appointment
This November, Austin voters will have plenty to ponder as they look at the city’s portion of the ballot. Every Austin voter will have a chance to vote on mayoral candidates, and voters in Districts 2, 4, 6, 7 and 10 will be choosing a City Council member to represent them for the next four […]
Posted inElections
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson declares his plans to run for reelection
To the surprise of practically no one in Austin, Mayor Kirk Watson announced on Wednesday that he will run for reelection this November. In an email to supporters, he outlined victories so far in his current two-year term. “For example, we’ve adopted the most ambitious housing reforms in decades to create more affordability; we’ve made […]
Posted inElections
Interfaith organizer, LGBTQ advocate Doug Greco running for mayor
A third official candidate jumped in to the race for mayor of Austin on Monday. Doug Greco, who announced last week that he was stepping down from his post as executive director and lead organizer of Central Texas Interfaith, announced his candidacy, declaring that he wants to address “inequality, unaffordability, (and) the increasingly difficult path […]
Posted inElections
East side activist Llanes Pulido running for mayor
Longtime Austin activist Carmen Llanes Pulido announced Tuesday that she would be running for mayor. Llanes Pulido, 39, is the executive director of GAVA (Go Austin/Vamos Austin) and a former member of a variety of city organizations, including the Planning Commission and the inaugural Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission, which created Austin’s first district map. Llanes […]
Posted inElections
Tovo announces run for mayor
Former City Council Member Kathie Tovo announced Thursday that she is running for mayor this year, a move that will inject a little adrenaline into the race featuring incumbent Mayor Kirk Watson. Tovo served as an at-large council member from 2011 to 2015 and as a representative of District 9 from 2015 to 2023. She […]
Posted inLocal Politics
Candidates signing up for 2024 City Council races
Although City Council elections are nearly a year away, two incumbents and eight contenders have already indicated their intention to run by filing paperwork appointing campaign treasurers. Another has also told the Austin Monitor that he plans to run again. District 2 Council Member Vanessa Fuentes and District 6 Council Member Mackenzie Kelly filed new […]